What we know about the upcoming 'Gossip Girl' reboot
- A "Gossip Girl" reboot is headed to HBO Max.
- It's unclear when the 10-episode series will premiere, but Kristen Bell is returning as the narrator and rising actress Emily Alyn Lind will star on the show.
- The new iteration will also have "a lot of queer content" and "non-white leads," which the original series lacked.
"Gossip Girl" is getting a reboot nine years after the hit CW drama ended.
The original series starred Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, and Penn Badgley and lasted for six seasons between September 2007 and December 2012.
Now, the show is getting revived for a new generation of viewers with the original series creators, Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, returning as executive producers. "Gossip Girl" executive producer Joshua Safran will serve as the series' showrunner.
Here's everything we know about HBO Max's "Gossip Girl" reboot, so far.
The show will take place '8 years after the original website went dark'
According to Deadline, the reboot's synopsis reads: "Eight years after the original website went dark, a new generation of New York private school teens are introduced to the social surveillance of Gossip Girl. The prestige series will address just how much social media - and the landscape of New York itself - has changed in the intervening years."
The new characters will acknowledge familiar faces from the original series
Safran compared the reboot to the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe during an interview with Entertainment Tonight, explaining that the upcoming show is "not a continuation or a sequel. It truly just is looking at a different angle."
The executive producer also said that the next generation of characters will mention people like Dan Humphrey (aka Gossip Girl), Serena van der Woodsen, Blair Waldorf, and Chuck Bass.
"I would love to have them come back," he said of the "Gossip Girl" alums. "The show jumped five years in the future when it ended and we are past that five years now, so it's whole new things that they could be doing."
The current social media landscape, with endless apps that make it easy to know the whereabouts of others, will also impact the show.
"I think it very much represents where we will be at in 2020 when the show airs," Safran told "ET." "It really looks at how social media has changed."
He also told the publication that the reboot will center on students at the Constance Billard School for Girls, in their junior year and wearing uniforms.
There will be more diversity and representation on the reboot
The original show was comprised of main characters that were primarily white and cisgender, with a few exceptions. At Vulture Festival in November 2019, Safran said that "this time around the leads are non-white" and "there's a lot of queer content on this show."
"It is very much dealing with the way the world looks now, where wealth and privilege come from, and how you handle that," he added. "The thing I can't say is there is a twist, and that all relates to the twist."
While answering fan questions on Twitter, Safran said that the show, which is set in 2021, will be "very, very queer."
He also said that "the majority of characters being diverse and/or queer" is the difference between the reboot and the original that he's most proud of.
Safran added that the reboot's tone also differs from the original series.
Kristen Bell will return as the narrator
In November 2019, TVLine reported that the "Good Place" star joined the new iteration of "Gossip Girl."
Bell later told "ET Canada Live" that "'Gossip Girl's' always been such a fun show. I had a great time doing it the first time around. It's the same creators, Josh and Stephanie, who I adore."
"It was an easy yes," she added.
'Code Black' actress Emily Alyn Lind landed a leading role on the reboot alongside a few rising stars
In February 2020, Deadline reported that the young actor and singer was cast on the series as Audrey, who "has been in a long-term relationship and is beginning to wonder what more could be out there."
Lind has appeared on shows like "Revenge" and "All My Children." She confirmed her role in the show on Instagram, writing: "[See] u soon upper east side, xoxo."
Variety also reported a few additional cast members who signed on for the show. This includes Eli Brown (who starred on the short-lived "Pretty Little Liars" spin-off titled "The Perfectionists") and Whitney Peak (who portrays Judith on Netflix's "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina").
Brown told Entertainment Tonight that he can't share much about the reboot, but guaranteed that his character is "a really good guy" and one who "comes from a very wealthy family and he's a humanitarian."
Johnathan Fernandez from "Lethal Weapon" and Jason Gotay from NBC's "Peter Pan Live!" will also star on the reboot.
In March 2020, TVLine reported four more cast members, including Thomas Doherty (known for roles on The CW's "Legacies," Disney's "Descendants" franchise, and Hulu's "High Fidelity") and Tavi Gevinson (a former blogger who has guest-starred on shows like "Parenthood" and "Scream Queens").
Adam Chanler-Berat (who starred on the TV show "It Could Be Worse" and led several theater productions) and model-actress Zion Moreno will also star on the show.
NYU student Savannah Smith will also star on the reboot, Deadline reported. In August 2020, the publication reported that singer-actress Jordan Alexander also joined the cast of the show. Model and skateboarder Evan Mock will reportedly be part of the reboot, too, plus Broadway star Laura Benanti.
You can read more about the cast members here.
It's unclear if any cast members from the original show will appear on the reboot
Schwartz previously said that the original actors have been told about the reboot and they're more than welcome to be involved if they're interested.
Chace Crawford, who starred as Nate Archibald on "Gossip Girl," appeared on Bravo's "Watch What Happens Live" in August 2019 and said that hearing about the reboot "made me feel old." He also joked about "playing a father," on the new iteration.
The actor also told Entertainment Weekly that he's open to appearing on the reboot.
"I just love Josh and Stephanie and if they wanted me to come and do anything it would be hard to say no," he said. "I'm always grateful for the opportunity they gave me and that whole experience - it was all of my 20s, it was like my college, living in New York for that time. I'll always have fond memories of it."
Meanwhile, Lively (Serena van der Woodsen) told E! News that she's "not involved" in the reboot. And Meester (Blair Waldorf) told the publication that she's open to watching it, though she's not set to appear.
In December 2019, Badgley (Dan Humphrey) told "Entertainment Tonight" that he hasn't had conversations with any of the creators yet."
"I would love to contribute in a meaningful way to it," he added.
The premiere date for the 10-episode series hasn't been revealed yet
The show is part of the programming for HBO Max, a new streaming service that launched in May 2020 and will also include the highly-anticipated "Friends" reunion special.
The reboot was supposed to be released by fall 2020, but production was delayed due to the spread of the coronavirus, Vulture reported. Now, the show is expected to debut sometime in 2021. According to Variety, filming will begin in New York in October 2020.